Fun, fun, fun...
Oh yes. Definitely yes. Fun, fun, fun. Winter garden can be lots of fun. Especially in a big garden with a whole lot of different garden areas...
Saturday 12th August
Had fun today cleaning up behind the big gum tree, an area that I don't pay much attention to. I love the texture of the gum bark. The Genista around the base of the second leaning gum is flowering. Such a cheery, fluffy, bright yellow shrub (and a bit invasive, oops).
Genista
Then I moved into the wee hidden shrubbery courtyard, and found the usual suspects - periwinkle growing where it shouldn't, plus lots of fallen gum tree branches and leaves. Dug some foxgloves out of the lawn and replanted them in the sunny spaces of the Hump Garden. Pruned a few roses - as one does.
Camellia Roger Hall
Brr...
But the temperature started to drop. Brr... As soon as that winter sun does a nose-dive it gets cold really quickly. So I burnt all my mess and came inside.
My piano playing plan
I love my piano! But I am not playing at the moment. So I have a plan. Mornings until about 11am are too cold for gardening. So I start the day by playing my piano for an hour, roughly between 9:00 and 10:00. Bach, Schumann, Albeniz, whatever takes my fancy. Playing while my mind and fingers are fresh and rested.
Sunday 13th August
Yes! Bach's English Suite in G minor and Schumman Sonata in F# Minor (1st movement). Then five nicely paced hours in the garden, no rushing. I tidied up the garden by the back door : trimmed the ivy, dug out old Anemanthele grasses, pruned roses, raked leaves, trimmed dead Phormium leaves. Four barrowfuls.
Wax-Eye Birdie
Good bird news...
Had lunch on the patio and watched the wee birdies. Good news on the bird front : Finally the little silver-eyes (AKA wax-eyes) are back in large numbers, eating their bird feeder. Was worried that their population had suffered some sort of drastic decline. Phew! About fifty are now flocking and fluttering around, as is usual for winter here.
In the afternoon I cleared and trimming along the side of the house, pruned more roses, and then weeded the edge of the Island Bed. For the last hour I poked at the bonfire and burnt everything.
Daphne is Flowering!
And now I am relaxing with my book, feeling pretty proud. An excellent day with just the right amount of effort, lots of thinking, and nothing too achy (as yet). And lots of fun!